Tue - January 11, 2005

Macworld: San Francisco, 2005


For those of you out there lucky enough to be at Moscone Center in San Francisco this morning for Steve Jobs's keynote address, congratulations. You're likely going to be part of the biggest day in Mac history since the 1984 Super Bowl. This years expo looks to be the launching pad for numerous Apple and 3rd party products that will help Apple move into new market segments, increase revenues (and, potentially, profits), and continue to dominate the digital music world. Unfortunately, like many of us not fortunate enough to be there, I will have to wait to enjoy Steve's RDF until tonight, around 8pm CST, when the webcast of the event will become available. It's unfortunate that Apple hasn't at least provided a satellite feed of the event. Anyway, here's what I'm expecting to see as part of today's announcements:

1. Flash-based iPod, similar to mock-up provided around a month ago by TheMacMind.com.

2. Demo of OS X 10.4, Tiger, featuring never-before-seen features.

3. A sub-$600 system to replace the eMac in the low-end consumer and educations spaces, to directly compete with low-cost Windows® PCs.

4. A new version of iLife, iLife '05.

5. A new Apple productivity suite, featuring Keynote and a previously unseen word processing/spreadsheet application.

That's what I think we'll see, but here's what I hope to see (wishful thinking):

1. Some type of Apple-branded set-top box/Home Media Server. This could simply be a modified version of the low-cost machine mentioned above, with TV-in capabilities.

2. .Mac updates, including scheduling for the above-mentioned set-top box, as well as Dynamic DNS for computer to computer synching of files and web hosting.

3. Updated QuickTime TV service utilizing the new H.264/AVC codec to be debuted in Tiger.

4. And last but not least, the Powerbook G5 announced but not shipping until late spring. This is the most anticipated piece of Hardware from Apple, from my point of view, and an early peek and announced shipping date would allow people to make purchase plans instead of waiting in a holding pattern. Those who need a laptop now could go ahead and buy the G4 if they can't wait that long.

Well, that's it. I hope that I'm right about all the first four, and partially right about some of the others. I also hope that his Steveness has some surprises up his sleeve for us, as well. Here's hoping for an exciting day!

--
Brooks Travis

Posted at 07:50 AM    

Sat - December 11, 2004

ReplayTV or Build Your Own PVR?


Well, I recently had plans to purchase a friend's slightly-used ReplayTV, but they fell through at the last minute when his wife put a kibosh on the idea. Now, I find myself with the desire for a Personal Video Recorder, but no reasonable purchase options in sight. One of the features that I have to have is the ability to download program guides over a broadband connection, as I do not have a landline phone, so TiVo is out, for me. That leaves me with the choice of a ReplayTV (Preferably a 50xx series) or building my own. I'd like to have at least 160 hours of recording time on whatever I end up with, but to get that out of a Replay, it will cost me about $450, and that doesn't include a $13 monthly subscription or $299 "Lifetime" fee (only good for the lifetime of that particular unit). If I build my own, I could probably do it for just about the same money (minus subscription), but at the added cost of my time and energy to build and configure the machine. Also, I have no real idea of where to start such a project. There are a few sites out there dedicated to this topic, but none, yet, that I've found, that really give you a set of specific parts and instructions on how to put them together. I'm currently considering a Via mini-itx motherboard , Hauppauge WinTV-PVR 250/350, and MythTV software running on either RedHat or Fedora. I'm also open to using a Micro ATX motherboard with an AMD Athlon XP processor. I just want to stay away from Intel, if I can. If anyone has any suggestions--motherboard, processor, encoder/tuner cards, cases, software, set-up, etc.--I'd be happy to hear them. Keep in mind, though, that I DO NOT want any Windows®-based solutions, so stick to Linux/Unix. Hope to hear from some of you soon. Thanks.

--
Brooks Travis

Posted at 06:43 PM    

Sun - February 1, 2004

Windows Defenders Mentally Ill?


"These Windows users are sick. Sick, I tell you! Mentally ill. Want proof? Okay, but keep in mind that this gets eerie, proceed at your own risk:.."

I was poking around the web tonight, and I ran across this article over at MacDailyNews.com and thought some of you might appreciate. I know that it has helped me explain the actions of computer services at my university, SMSU. I'm thinking about printing out some copies and sending it to them; I'll let you know how that goes if I decide to do it. In the meantime, take a look at this excerpt and then go on over and check it out.

"Stockholm Syndrome has certain symptoms or behaviors according to Dr. Carver. These include:
A. Positive feelings by the victim toward the abuser/controller
B. Negative feelings by the victim toward family, friends, or authorities trying to rescue/support them or win their release
C. Support of the abuser's reasons and behaviors
D. Positive feelings by the abuser toward the victim
E. Supportive behaviors by the victim, at times helping the abuser
F. Inability to engage in behaviors that may assist in their release or detachment

Now, I shall interpret, using my IT friend as the example:
A: Even though completely locked into a failing computer system, he compliments Microsoft when speaking of Windows and Microsoft applications.
B. I was trying to explain the benefits of Mac OS X vs. Windows when it comes to usability, stability, and virus/worm security only to have him make fun of Apple and the Mac based upon myths and falsehoods.
C. His support of Microsoft’s system of patching problems as they came up, how Windows worked, etc. was strong.
D. This poor bastard loved Microsoft.
E. This guy was proud that he had been awake for 56 hours, working through two nights straight to patch hundreds of infected Windows machines.
F. He wouldn’t listen to me as I offered him an option (Mac) that did everything he needed to do (and more) without the problems of Windows."

For more of this article, head on over to MacDailyNews.

Posted at 11:41 PM    

Tue - January 27, 2004

Wonderful Analysis of Intellectual Property Today


As many of you have become painfully aware in the past few years, intellectual property has become a highly contentious area in both the technology and legal fields. If any of you are familiar with my past postings on topics like the DMCA and music sharing, I have some interesting views on IP, and it is an area on which I have devoted a considerable amount of intellectual energy, recently writing a paper on the formulation of the DMCA from a Systems Analysis perspective. Well, anyway, I ran across this article over at OSViews earlier today that offers a fairly in-depth but brief analysis of the current state of intellectual property, how it got here, and what the future holds. Here's a brief excerpt:


"1) Intellectual property and physical property are fundamentally different, as are the laws that govern them. Tangible property exists in the physical world and is governed by the laws of supply and demand. Its value is determined by comparison. Intellectual property, on the other hand, exists only in the minds of those who believe in it. It is cumulative, immaterial, and nonexclusive, which means that its value is a function of its distribution.

If this seems obvious, remember that IP regimes have been attempting to subject information to the laws of supply and demand for centuries. The result has been a system wherein exchange of information is highly regulated. Thus regulation and legislation have come to be viewed as the principal means whereby the IP industry hopes to sustain its profitability in lieu of adapting to new market realities.

2) The IP industry profits by connecting potential consumers with content creators. Technology, however, is making it increasingly possible for these parties to communicate directly, reducing the need for (and expense of) intermediate information "brokers." Reinvention and adaptation will be essential for each sector of the IP industry if it is to retain relevance and sustain profitability.

This point is best illustrated by the recording industry and its collective response to evolving technology. Instead of recognizing technology as an unstoppable force and finding business models that utilize it, the recording industry has turned to Congress and the courts.

In court it claims that millions of Americans are engaged in criminal acts. In Congress, the recording industry contends that it deserves a guaranteed place in the universe because of its economic magnitude, regardless of its failures to face new market or technological realities. It has even asked for permission to sabotage users' computers with impunity in the name of piracy prevention.

3) When key conditions are met, information will inevitably transcend ownership. When information is both critical and universal in its application, an open system will find a way to bring it into public ownership. Open source is only one way to accomplish this; there may be others. Additionally, information becomes part of the public domain with the passage of time. This social expectation has been codified into law even though IP regimes are under increasing pressure to extend IP rights indefinitely.

This idea points to the emergence of Linux and the open source movement as the natural response to Microsoft and its unsavory business practices. In essence, the premise of open source software is that some functions are too critical and/or universal to be left solely in the hands of a proprietary software vendor. This is partially because of the conflict of interest between a company's profit motive and the best interests of its customers.

4) Attempts to control intellectual property after it has legitimately passed into the hands of consumers are most often counterproductive. These efforts destroy customer loyalty and generate consumer backlash such that customers seek alternative solutions or rally around projects that create them. Ultimately they are lose/lose rather than win/win.

This idea is illustrated by Hollywood's desire to control the editing of movies after they have been purchased by consumers, as well as by Microsoft's desire to control every installation of Windows XP through product activation. Hollywood alienates consumers with its stance as does Microsoft. Too often, the IP industry is so focused on controlling its intellectual property that it fails to recognize when doing so is counterproductive."

So, click on over and take a look at the full article. I promise, it's an interesting read for anyone who is interested in IP.

--
Brooks Travis

Posted at 12:59 PM    

Fri - January 23, 2004

Spell Check Run Amok


To start off on a positive note, I've recently had my work published for the first time. In today's issue of The Standard , the official student newspaper of Southwest Missouri State University, a guest column appears entitled "Legal options exist for online music," written by yours truly. While I'm extraordinarily grateful for this opportunity, I do take issue with people making me look like an idiot, and that's seems to be what the copy editors at the standard have done. In (what they have constructed as) the second paragraph of my column, the original text reads:

The vitriolity of this issue has increased of late, as the RIAA has begun to file lawsuits against file-swappers, seeking damages that could reach into the millions.

But here is what the published version says:

The virility of this issue has increased of late, as the RIAA has begun to file lawsuits against file-swappers, seeking damages that could reach into the millions.

Now, while I understand that "vitriolity" may not be the most common of term, and may even be a little colloquial the substitution of "virility" just doesn't make any sense. It sounds like the issue of file-swapping just returned from the fertility clinic with good news. What I meant to do with "vitriolity" which I will admit that my spell-check flags, is indicate the heated nature of the issue, without using so many words. Hopefully I can get them to issue a correction. In the mean time, at least an explanation is out in the ether now.

--
Brooks Travis

Posted at 07:14 AM    

Mon - October 20, 2003

iTunes...FOR WINDOWS, and More!


I'm sure that, by now, this is not really news to most of you, but this past thursday, Apple introduced iTunes and the iTunes Music Store (iTMS) for Windows. Finally, a glimmer of light for those currently assimilated into the collective, a sense of individuality. Even those of us not infested by nanobots have some things to cheer about. Several new features have been added to the store, and are available on both platforms. Among these are iTMS gift certificates, allowances, celebrity playlists, and direct purchase of Audible spoken word content. Those first two were probably the second most requested feature (after full-length previews), and will probably be the most useful. For parents leery to hand over their credit card(s) to their children, allowances are a great thing, for both the parents and Apple. Now, parents can allot their kids anywhere from $10 to $200 a month to buy music online, instead of downloading it from Kazaa, Limewire, etc. Gift certificates are great, and give us the opportunity to spread our addiction to our family and friends. Celebrity playlists...I'm not sure. The idea is interesting, but, seeing as I'm not a musician, its unlikely that I'll really care that much about who most influenced my favorite artists. The jury is still out on spoken word content. I don't do as much traveling as I used to, and I often prefer to actually read a book. But at the same time, I love listening to stories, and often remember them better that way. The only drawback, is that they are so expensive (around $32 for a new release) when compared to their printed counterparts. Even older books are about two times the cost of their paperback versions, if not more. If I start traveling more, I may look into audiobooks again, but if not, I'll probably only buy them if I get a gift certificate from someone.

iTunes changes weren't the only announcements on thursday; Apple also announced the availability of two new iPod accessories from Belkin. First, is the Belkin Voice Recorder, which turns the iPod into a dictation/lecture-recording device. A software update to the iPod enables this and date-time stamps each recording for synchronization with the home iTunes software. The second new accessory, the Belkin Media Reader. allows the transfer of data, specifically pictures, from memory sticks to your iPod, and, if you use a Mac, the pictures will be added to your iPhoto library the next time you synch your iPod. Well, that's if for now. Once I get the chance to try out iTunes on Windows, I'll let you know what I think, but until then, why don't you check things out for yourself at www.itunes.com where you can download iTunes 4.1 for Mac OS X and Windows XP/2000.

--
Brooks Travis

Posted at 08:11 AM    

Wed - October 1, 2003

Viruses Not a Fact of My Life


The school newspaper at my university recently published an article on the recent rash of virus outbreaks on campus computer systems. To quote one of the head of out Computer Information Systems department, "They're [viruses] a fact of life and there is nothing good about them." This comment struck me as very strange, considering I've never really had to worry about viruses on my computer. Click on the link below to read my letter to the editor, submitted earlier today, as well as some further comments on the topic.

"I was reading the article on recent virus outbreaks on the SMS campus, and it reminded me that I had not applied any critical Windows updates or patches to my computer, nor had I installed any antivirus software. I began to panic for a moment, but then I realized that I didn't need to. The reason: I own, and principally use, Macs. As I pen this letter, there are no (a.k.a. zero) viruses that attack Apple Computer's new operating system, Mac OS X. Some people say this is because the Mac only has a 3-5% market share, but the truth is that it is simply just more difficult to write a virus that can cause the type of damage caused by those for Windows. I think it would be interesting if The Standard took an in-depth look at how much SMS spends on computer maintenance, specifically virus prevention and system security. In the meantime, if you want a secure computer experience, where you don't have to worry about the latest virus outbreak (at least on your computer), buy a Mac. If you like spending hundreds of dollars and losing hundreds of productive hours to maintain and protect your systems, keep buying PCs. Maybe SMS should consider doing the same. I currently manage a small lab of Macs on campus, and they have seen no trouble during the recent problems. So, you see, to paraphrase Jerry Chin, viruses are NOT a fact of life."

In that letter, I mentioned the amount of money spent on system maintenance and virus prevention. For example, due to the severity of the virus outbreak this fall, the Residence Life and Services department had to purchase a site license to Norton Anti-Virus to distribute to each incoming resident. I imagine that cost a pretty penny. This doesn't even address the question of man-hours and downtime due to virus infestation and removal. Hopefully, but not likely, recent events will be enough for my educational institution to reconsider its stance on homogenous computer systems and look more strongly towards alternative platforms with better out-of-the-box security, like Mac OS X and Linux.

The great thing about all of this, is that Apple is very well-positioned to make a drive into the educational IT market. With their rack-mount server, the X-Serve, and the soon-to-be-released Panther (10.3) version of OS X server, they can offer unprecedented affordability and ability to integrate the Mac platform into existing computing and network infrastructures. The only possible hang-up for Macintosh acceptance by the IT at my institution is the self-serving fear of those in positions of power in IT at the prospect of losing IT jobs when maintenance requirements go down and virus outbreaks begin to occur less frequently. In the meantime, I'll just keep managing my lab of iMacs and PowerMacs in ITMS and smile while I watch our PC guy go around patching machines to avoid downtime from viruses, worms, and trojan horses. Good Day.

--
Brooks Travis

Posted at 04:33 PM    

Sun - September 28, 2003

This blog brought to you by iBlog for Mac OS X


In case any of you were wondering what software/service I am using to create and publish this web log, the answer is a program called iBlog by Lifli Software. This normally $19.95 piece of software was a free "Member Benefit" of my .Mac Internet Essentials membership ($99 a year, $69 with the purchase of a new Macintosh). In case you hadn't noticed by the address of this blog, it's hosted on .Mac as well. I also have a personal website on this server. There's some picture of my wife and I at our wedding and on our honeymoon in B.C., Canada (a.k.a. God's Country!).

You get 100MB of online storage, standard, with a .Mac membership (you can buy more if you need it), 15MB of e-mail storage, an online address book that synchronizes with the one on your Mac, the ability to synchronize your Safari (Recommended for its superiority, for that matter, so is Mac OS X) bookmarks, the ability to publish and synchronize your iCal calendars, and various free copies of software and discounts on other software and hardware (eg. .Mac members are currently eligible for a $30 mail-in rebate on SmartDisk firewire drives). I figured this was a good way to start off this new category on what I think is the best computer operating system out there today.

--
Brooks Travis

Posted at 06:13 PM    


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